Tara Tips&Tricks Collection

[96p]

Hey Guys,

started to play Tara some days back and up until now she feels like an underachiever, so I thought a collection of tips and tricks by seasoned Players would be in Order.

Here is what I learned till today:

Tips:

- Bury the NB, never ever let it stay on the table for longer then one single opponent activation, otherwise it'll just die. If you have to keep it unburied for longer, use defensive stance instead of that one additional attack.

- Get rid of your low cards fast, but don't waste the high cards just for high df on your NB and Wretches. A high card cheated might be better than a high df with a low cards flipped.

- send your Void Wretches along your flanks to drop scheme markers and keep them save from early turn attacks. They'll still be able to damage buried models or heal your own.

- slow... use it ! and often. Yes you get more bonuses from fast enemy models, but slowing an enemy beatstick keeps him from charging and often takes him out of the game for a whole turn.

- take at least 1 additional big beatstick to the NB. Without, your opponent will just focus on tara.

Tricks:

- Bury Hans to use his 'Smile you son of a...' without the enemy Master being able to discard cards to prevent you from obliterating his Uprades.

Models to consider:

- Johan: very high damage output at only 6SS. especially powerful when unburied in melee range to his designated Target.

- Hannah: Henchman with an upgrade enabling her to bury models until the end of the turn. Powerful beatstick. Can copy Obliterate of the NB.

- Taelor: Powerful but slow Beatstick

- Bishop: potential 6 attacks with 2x Flurry. Crowdcontrol via Patalyze.

- Malifaux Child: Healing and burying via Taras spells.

- Killjoy: allready buried

- Sue: versatile Beatstick

[Tuttleboy]

I almost always take at least 1 Death Marshal. They feel like the minion of choice for me with her.

[Tiaden]

Models to consider:

Convict Gunslinger: Unbury either with Fast or Oath Keeper upgrade for 4 shoots with the chance on Trigger Happy. On the + side you don't have to overextend Tara as much as you would have to when you wanted to deliver a meele beatstick.

[Hateful Darkblack]

Get the bonus to initiative Upgrade. It's worth it.

Tara: Most turns, you want to have Tara act first and last. This is especially good if she's going to use her second activation to unbury the Nothing Beast (or another beatstick) on some folks. Sometimes, though, you don't want to do this. If you win initiative, you can bury it again on your turn.

Bury Killjoy (or start him buried) to give Tara a monstrous melee attack.

Student of Conflict can help give Tara fast.

The best time to give an enemy model Fast is when you're surrounded by your allies and about to kill that enemy.

Combination: Tara attacks a friendly model to bury it. Then a Void Wretch heals it.

Death Marshalls are a great way to bury friendly models. Killjoy starts buried, which is great. However, both of these interfere with Tara's ability to bury, since she can only bury if nothing else is buried.

Sometimes, Tara's best action is to shoot someone with her Peacebringer. Other times, her best action is a brutal spell.

Pick your Upgrades beforehand with one or two tricks and combinations in mind.

Edited January 31, 2014 by Hateful Darkblack

[SoulGambit]

In practice, I've always found Tara's copy spell and unbury spell to be way too resource intensive to rely on.

 

Is there any more depth to Tara's abilities other than "Wrecking Ball?"

[EnternalVoid]

In practice, I've always found Tara's copy spell and unbury spell to be way too resource intensive to rely on.

 

Is there any more depth to Tara's abilities other than "Wrecking Ball?"

 

Sure there is, repositioning and force multiplier.  As I pointed out to a player not that long ago after one of our games that he could have likely done better if he focused less on the bury/spit out a model with fast at the end of turn trick and more on just passing out Fast to his models.  As pointed out giving it to a Convict Gunslinger could amount to 4+ shots with Rapid Fire and Trigger Happy but at the same time that extra AP could be used for other things.  You can move into range and still get your 3 shots with Rapid fire, or you can Rapid Fire and move to "Safety" as I pointed out to him.  You can also do this with Ronin as they can walk forward, Flurry, and if the last attack hits you can use their trigger to push 4".

 

For Repositioning an example was the ability to hit your model with Pull of the Void from 8" away and then pop them out in base to base and then get the chain activation.  You can yank a model on one flank and thanks to Fast and the distance have them going after something on the opposite flank with out them getting an activation to stop you.

[TranquilitiesEnd]

For Repositioning an example was the ability to hit your model with Pull of the Void from 8" away and then pop them out in base to base and then get the chain activation.  You can yank a model on one flank and thanks to Fast and the distance have them going after something on the opposite flank with out them getting an activation to stop you.

This. Using this move at the start of the turn to completely move a friendly model, give him Fast for 1 damage and activate him immediately has been the moneymaking tactic for me.

[CrimsonWraith]

Don't get hooked on one beater. I found the Desolation Engine to almost always be better than the NB. Then I fought Rasputina and learned that, in that situation, he goes down super fast. Even with rebury, resend at beginning of the next turn. The two abominations in the middle of her crew were nice, but that went down fairly fast as well. The next game I went NB and burned my hand every turn, dealing damage and sucking cards. Worked much better. I have found Taelor very useful against ressers, especially summoning ones, also constructs(the above Raspy).

 

Also, if you bury an unactivated model, then drop them second activation, Tara can use her Pull the Void again.

 

A note on Bishop 4 AP Flurry machine, he is also pretty awesome as a 4AP scheme dropping machine as well.

 

Giving your opponent's models Fast can be useful, if you can bury them, then unbury them and use the Fast yourself.

 

Don't rush to ditch those low cards turn one, you will need them to fail the Wp duel to become buried on the Pull the Void trigger(I may or may not have done this)

 

I, generally, run a dual beater list. I Pull the Void a model to give it Fast, but don't bury it. Pull the Void a second model and do bury it. The first model can then be buried later by a Death Marshal. Make sure the first is your big hitter. Then, unbury your first beater with Tara and zip it forward, like any other time. But, if he kills a model(don't be afraid to aim small), blam, the second beater is right there, also not activated, waiting to bring more pain.

[Ausplosions]

On deployment (particularly close) don't be too afraid to rush Tara up into a safe place close to the enemy.

On her second Activation, she can pop her beater AND (0) back to her own deployment zone.

[Mason]

On deployment (particularly close) don't be too afraid to rush Tara up into a safe place close to the enemy.

On her second Activation, she can pop her beater AND (0) back to her own deployment zone.

 

Unfortunately, you can only take Eternal Journey on her first activation, so you have to use it to snap back at the start of the next turn...which means that she isn't reactivating that turn. 

[Ausplosions]

Unfortunately, you can only take Eternal Journey on her first activation, so you have to use it to snap back at the start of the next turn...which means that she isn't reactivating that turn.

Actually, that's not correct.

It says she must have been the first friendly model to activate that turn. Even if she is on her reactivation, she was still the first model to activate.

It's perfectly fine.

[Mason]

Actually, that's not correct.

It says she must have been the first friendly model to activate that turn. Even if she is on her reactivation, she was still the first model to activate.

It's perfectly fine.

 

 

Doesn't that interpretation create an infinite activation chain with Eternal Moment, though?

[Ausplosions]

Doesn't that interpretation create an infinite activation chain with Eternal Moment, though?

What? Why?

You can only have reactivate once.

I guess you could use Eternal Moment again, sure. But it won't do anything for you.

Was she the first friendly model to activate? Yes.

You may use the (0)

[TranquilitiesEnd]

I had not considered Eternal Moment to be used in during Tara's second activation in a single turn.

I get the impression that Eternal Moment was supposed to Compete with Eternal Journey, and as such I've yet to ever use Eternal Journey.

It'll be interesting to see if Eternal Journey is supposed to be used in that way Ausplosions, because that will make it useful for me, as I find Lost Instants does very little if your using it at the end if the turn.

Edited February 9, 2014 by Heartsbane

[Ausplosions]

I don't understand why everyone is saying "if that interpretation" or "if it is supposed to be used in that way".

There is no reason you can't. It is a yes/no proposition.

I'll say it again.

Was she the first friendly model to activate this turn? Yes.

Then use Eternal Moment or Eternal Journey.

It is irrelevant whether it is her first or second Activation.

[TranquilitiesEnd]

Fair enough.

Tara just got even cooler, and she was already one of my favourate Masters.

[Drool_bucket]

With Aus on this one. It's pretty simple.

Was Tara the first to activate? If yes, then she can use Journey. Doesn't matter which activation. ( or it would say so)

As for an infinite (0), main rule book under reactivate... Models can only gain that condition once a turn.

[zugov]

Doing some random card dealings with Tara's crew just to try and get a handle on what she does, and I noticed the Void Wretches get ++ to flips against fast models, at first thinking this was to take on enemies I'd made fast, but then realised it's "models" not "enemy models", so would also work with Satiating Void on a model you damaged to bury (or got damaged whilst unburied). I realise a lot of you already probably knew this, but thought I'd put it here just in case.

[SpiralngCadavr]

"Duels with" doesn't encompass simple duels, so they woulnd't.

[PeregrineFalcon]

What Ausplosions said, its REALLY quite clear cut, no room for confusion on that one.

 

As far as 'tricks'... I don't like this term. She has things she can do that are unique to her playstyle. I've said it before, but Tara is a finesse master. The positioning of your models and your enemies models pretty much define's the success level you will have with her.

 

I almost ALWAYS give out Fast to my opponents. Why? Well its simple. I always make it gets applied to almost my entire crew, and only 1 enemy model. Usually the model I'm about to kill (or bury). The reason for this is either I'm going to kill it (usually with Tara), or I'm going to cause it to bury (forcing it to have a -2 Wp with her upgrade).

 

I've posted it other places so won't spam it, but my blog has a discussion on her effectiveness with different strategies that you my find useful. 

 

She is a master that, on paper, looks pretty cut and dry, but once you play with her for a bit the options with her are nearly endless. She plays SO well in both her factions, and she herself I almost always consider a solo master. She is probably going to get you 6 VP per game, just by herself. Her double activation is amazing and her Df(mask) trigger is amazing against shooty crews. Not to mention immune to horror, bonuses when defending against Ca,etc. Just a lot of fun to play. Which is why I've been playing her pretty regularly for the past 4-5 months. 

[Tuttleboy]

I've not done this yet, but I think it would be something try to see if it works.

Start with Killjoy buried and have a Death Marshal Pinebox another beatstick. Jam the Death Marshall down the enemy's throat with the intent to pop out Killjoy and the model he buried when he dies and place a scheme marker. Kill stuff. Lots of stuff. Probably not much good unless you've got a set of schemes that require killing the other crew.